The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-22
GAS EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES
Rochester, n. Y, Greatly Alarmed by
Series of Explosions and Fires.
Four Lives lost, Two FIGURING Mills Destroy
ed, and the Sewerage System Seriously
and Perhaps Irreparably Injured.
specia1 TO the Indiananolis Jonrnay.


.ook place at the Jefferson and Clinton Touring
mills, on Mill street, in this city, and they were
speedily enveloped in flames. The fire depart
msnt was summoned, and soon after a general
Rlarm was turned in. Before the department
had reached the station the corner
BILL and PIatt streets, the entire city
alarmed and shaken by a number of explosions.
Immediately following huge clouds of smoke
arose from half dozen points on Mill and
Plat streets, and flames burst from the windows
of the Clinton mill, just north of the Woodbury.
ergne company building Mill street. The
flames spread to the Washington mill,
which adjons the Clinton mill, and before any
thing could be done prevent the spread or the
ere the rear Of Whitney & Wilson's mill
was also in flames. While the fremen
were laying q line of hose to the burning build
ings, half a dozen man holes, which had been
covered with ice and snow, blew up IN Mill
street. Thousands of people had been attracted
by the EXPLOSIONS and as they pushed through
State and Platt streets TO the scene of the fire
they were brought to halt By other explosions.
in Platt and State streets. and thrown into CON
fusion. They fed in every direction, but
wherever they went they met with repetition
of the The explosions continued at
such frequent intervals that there tell
Ing when the horrors would The side
walk of the old furnace on Plat street, between
State and MILL was blown up. but fortunately no
Dne was injured. The building was immediate
iy fired. however. and flames issued from half
dozen holes in State street where the street
pavement had been blown up.
By half past o'clock the fire was practical
~ under control far as the mills We're con-
cerned, but the mains sending up
columns of flame at frequent intervals. Explo
sons took place in the cellars of Ill buildings
Mill street In Congress II all Hotel cellar one
man was hurt. All along the other streets ad-
iacent Mill explosions took place. Shortly
after O'Clock explosion occurred near new
sewer which is being dug on Atkinson street.
Two workmen we're thrown violently to the
ground and one was severely bruised. Slight
explosions are reported TO have occurred on
Adams and fremont streets. There also
an explosion in West avenue, in front of the
Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg depot. The
paving stones were thrown high in the air.
Many windows in residences near the scene of
the explosion were broken.
Inquiry at the Office of the Municipal Gas
Company developed the cause OF the explosions.
Several wears ago." it was stated, the Vacu-
um Oil Company ran pipe from It's works to
to supply it with naphtna. This pipe line
along the bed of the GeAesee Valley canal,
three or four feet under ground. At Atkinson
street the contractors were blasting, carelessiy,
undoubtedly, and in this way the pipe was
broken. The naphtha ran down into the outlet
sewer through Canal street into Piatt and from
there into Mill street, where it has caused this
trouble. ! presume II 900 ID 600 gallons of
naphtha have gone into the sewers We were
informed that our gas was escaping on Mill
street. We a man down there to it
off, and he reported that he smelled fresh
naphtha This the first had heard of the
escape This thing teaches that contractors
should be careful in blasting under pipes
The supply OF naphtha cut off Immediately
by the Vacuum Oil Company, and the gas
at once cut off from pipes"
Some almost miraculous escapes reported
The engineer of the Clinton mill and two COM
panions standing the front of the
mill when the explosion occurred. about twenty
Taat men war rn11c fri oh r
ened, but were sufficiently collected TO gather up
their clothes and escape. When the fremen
arrived the flames had obtained such foothold
that il was readily seen 1t would be utterly i'm
possible to the Clinton mill The next
building the Jefferson mill, and to this
the fremen turned their attention. The
flames had obtained a firm foothold there. how
ever, and soon streaks of fire were seen darting
through the windows About this time the
front wall OF the Clinton mill fell over with a
loud crash, narrowly missing burying numbers
of the frernen and spectators beneath it. Short
" after this, another gas explosion occurred
from the sewer main in front of the mill. throw
ing man ten or twelve feet and scratching
his face severely.
The losses SO far as can be ascertained, OF
Washington mill, loss, $50 O00 insurance, $22,-
300: DAVIS & Son. Shawnut MILL loss $50 000
insurance. $50. 600; Clinton Pool mill, loss,
Got, 900; insurance. unknown: Wells q Co.. tool
makers, 81. 900; Insurance. 5000.
The destruction of the mills. it is feared, is
bnt small item comparatively, the entire
been affected. and that section OF it connected
with the Municipal Gas Companys and the
Vacuum Oil Company's works almost
pletely destroyed Kinsbury cracker factory,
saoss 81, 500; no insurance
The list of casualties is long one, but only
two deaths have been reported up TO IL o'clock
tonight Frederick Wilson, head miller of
tho Whitney Mill, aged thirty years, leaving
wife and two children. and Edward A. Webster.
who died in the city hospital. It was believed
that Miss Alice Pool, who was in her fathers
Office when the explosion occurred, killed,
but she turned up but slightly injured.
The injured Louis Hcrpt. Jefferson mill,
burned about the face and hands and inhaled
gas, recovery doubtful; Aaron Harrison, right
leg broken by jumping into the river from the
third story of building, also internally injured:
William Richie. driver for the Clinton mill left
ankle broken and calf of leg torn open; William
O. Wallace. jefferson mill, badly burned about
head, face and hands.
1t was believed at one time that number or
girls employed in one of the mills packing In
dian meal had been caught in the fire and per-
lshed. but this has not been verified and il is
now thought that no girls were n any of the
mills.
At this writing tnidneht) it is believed that
four persons are killed These are: Frederick
Wilson, Edward A Webster, Abram Rogers
and John Lee. The last named is missing. and
Is supposed was burned to death in the Clinton
mill Rogers was mill-wrght and was in iured
by falling walls. He taken home and died
TONIGHT Young Wilson was a part owner IN
the Shawmut mills. and killed BY flying
stone Edward a. Webster was looking at a
gnan hole from which the explosions were COM
ing when the explosion in the Jefferson mill
happened, burying him under the falling walls
He was picked up with leg and arm broken
and internal Injuries He taken to the city
hospital, where he died this evening The in
jured will number at LEASE twenty Most of
them are bruised and cut ov stones
Mr.. Beach. secretary Of the Vacuum Oil Com
pany. believes that the accident was caused by
the breaking of the pipe line between the oil works
and the gas-works and promises thorough in
vestigation into the cause. Another representative
Of the company said he was sure that the pipe
must have been broken by violence He was |
not prepared 10 believe that the workmen on the
drain in Atkinson street. which is nearly mile
away from the scene of the disaster. had broken |
the pipe IN excavating No oil had been pumped |
for several days and the fact that the gas COM |
pany had not received any during the day shows |
that the pipe was broken before any flow began |
Pitfsburg Business Houses Burned.